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The Box 3909 Moss St. B · Lafayette, LA 70507 The Lunch Box, a and po-boy joint in 45 the far reaches of upper Lafayette, perched near the Carencro border, is filled with lunch boxes. There are hundreds of them, constructed of metal and plastic, featuring decades of Americana, everything from I Love Lucy to G.I. Joe, lining a series of high Ton's Drive-In shelves that ring the 's walls, staring 101 W Main St. · Broussard, LA 70518

down at customers enjoying one of the region's Every morning, Monday through Saturday, as premier plates of and gravy. Delores and Cline the sun dawns on the town of Broussard, Ton's entered the industry without having any restaurant Drive-In bustles with patrons. They are mostly or professional experience. But it was men, many retired. Some up early because their no accident that The Lunch Box prospered. They job demands it, sitting in the booths in the dining shared the as well as order counter duties room, filling up on coffee and fried eggs on and expanded the they inherited. At high and, most satisfying of all, talk. Throughout the noon, the is undoubtedly one of the drive-in's first several years, Ton also managed most bustling in town. Regulars come for the rich a hardware store in downtown Lafayette. His (meatball on Monday, chicken on Tuesday) wife, Rosemary, who had to leave her job as a and smothered items (Monday's , Tuesday's dress shop seamstress, ran the restaurant during potatoes). Thursday's —also served the day operating the kitchen. When Broussard baked for the healthy at heart—brings in the started to grow, Ton's relocated across the street lunchers. But Friday's seafood menu makes for the and added the town's first drive-thru as well as busiest afternoon. There's always a crowd, and often plate . Today, the daily plate lunch specials a line out the door during Lent for fried fish, shrimp alternate between the familiar and the week-to- , and catfish court bouillon. It's also the only week changeups. You might find meatball stew day where you can score a helping of the LeBlanc's on Tuesday, or you might discover smothered homemade bread pudding, served with each order. . Fridays might bring crawfish étouffée or You can also get the full seafood menu for . shrimp stew. But there is always hamburger The Lunch Box is one of the area's few plate lunch steak smothered with grilled onions on Mondays, places open for —Thursday and Friday nights smothered liver served over rice on Tuesdays, only. It is also, diverging from plate lunch tradition, and pork chops, fried or grilled, on Thursdays. open on weekends. Saturday delivers up a fried pork Broussard residents like knowing what they're chop, Sunday a plate laden with a trifecta going to get when they pull into Ton's. of pork, chicken, and sausage. (337) 837-6684 · Monday - Friday 6 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. · TonsDriveIn.com 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. · 6 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday - Friday (337) 837-6684 · Monday (337) 233-8298 · Saturday - Wednesday 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Thursday 10:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. Friday 10:30 a.m. - 8 p.m. · LunchBoxMenu.com 10:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. Friday Thursday 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Wednesday - (337) 233-8298 · Saturday 12 17 20 Creole Gary's IG Lunch House Dwyer's Café Grocery & Market 713 12th St. · Lafayette, LA 70501 323 Jefferson St. · Lafayette, LA 70501 104 Lamar St. · Lafayette, LA 70501

For the owner of the Creole Lunch House, rice It's one of Lafayette's most iconic signs: a man By the 1980s, and the era of oversized is the grain of life. Growing up just outside in a 's coat and toque rendered in stained supermarkets, Pop Gary's son, Wayne, shifted Lafayette, Merline Herbert fondly remembers glass. He holds a long carving knife and fork, gears, from groceries to gravy, and Gary's her mother cooking rice each and every day to and slices into the breast of a roast turkey. A became a neighborhood spot for daily plate serve for lunch. She maintains a confidence in pineapple and cherry-covered ham, fashioned lunches. As with any plate lunch emporium, the virtues of the rice pot. Herbert learned to trust from slivers of yellow and red glass, rests form the foundation of almost her pots as a young woman, cooking alongside adjacent to the large bird, awaiting the chef's every order. Here the gravy's base begins her mother at home for her four siblings. Cooking blade. Elbows akimbo, he smiles at the viewer with the pan drippings from those smothered rice, meat with onions and peppers, meats, bolstered with onion, pepper, garlic, beans, and stewing greens. Too restless with cheery upturned brows. Arcing above his and spice. It's served alongside the hamburger to enjoy retirement, Herbert, with her husband's head, like a child's representation of the sun steak special on Wednesdays and Thursday's prodding, opened up the Creole Lunch House in or a giant halo, is the name of this restaurant: smothered steak. Fridays fulfill the promise of 1983. She brought to the menu the same smothered "Dwyer's Cafe." Come to Dwyer's today and, if seafood: crawfish fettuccine, crawfish étouffée, dishes and sides that she had been cooking for you don't order off the standard menu, you'll crawfish stew (a half-and-half order of both most of her life. Meatball on Mondays and be ushered down a long hall to the back of the crawfish dishes served atop rice is strongly Wednesdays. Stuffed baked chicken on Tuesdays restaurant to the steam table full of lunch entree and Thursdays. Fricasseed chicken dished up every suggested). Po-boys are an everyday item, as options. You can get roast pork or most day. And rice and gravy served every day. Herbert are smothered beans—black-eyed peas or red any day of the week, Monday through Sunday, makes sure never to run out of the prized starch. beans depending on the weekday. And then along with a variety of smothered choices: The Creole Lunch House is also justly famous for there's the Big G Burger, a double-patty, half- chicken, pork chop, or steak. There's more exotic its stuffed bread. These are fresh-baked, fist-sized pound behemoth of a hamburger dressed with rolls, loaded with sausage, cheese, and jalapeños. fare served every now and then like Tuesday's smothered onions. For , it's topped Another version comes packed with crawfish and calf tongue, or the stuffed bell pepper special. with bacon and a fried egg (it's okay to sleep gooey cheese. Rice makes lunch, rice makes the Fridays bring seafood, of : shrimp stew, in, the breakfast burger is served until Gary's , and at the Creole Lunch House, it is always shrimp étouffée, fried catfish, seafood . kitchen closes at 2 p.m.). time for meat and rice. (337) 232-9929 · Monday - Friday · 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. RestaurantWebExperts.com/CreoleLunchHouse/ - Friday (337) 232-9929 · Monday (337) 235-9364 · Monday - Sunday · 6 a.m. - 2 p.m. · RestaurantWebWxperts.com/DwyersCafe/ - Sunday (337) 235-9364 · Monday · 6:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. · Garys-IG-Grocery-Market.Business.Site - Friday (337) 235-2921 · Monday 28 36 43

Laura's II Café Nobert's Restaurant T'Coons 1904 W University Ave. · Lafayette, LA 70506 521 Ave. C · Broussard, LA 70518 1900 W Pinhook Rd. · Lafayette, LA 70508

Laura's granddaughter, Madonna, remembers The walls of Norbert's, the oldest existing sit- At T-Coon's, the opportunity to grab a plate standing at a distance, watching her down restaurant in Broussard, which is owned lunch stretches back beyond the traditional grandmother make each day's gravy. When by John Norbert and is run with his wife, Lilly lunchtime hours into the early morning. In deciding whether or not to pursue a third Mae, tell this story. There are old photos of addition to the standard breakfast of eggs, iteration of the family business, Madonna took Broussard landmarks, quilts that portray the bacon, and grits, the menu includes omelettes that gravy recipe and made up her mind to history of this town, and greater stitch stuffed with pork roast, beef brisket, and things "Laura's way." And in 2000, Laura's II was by stitch. There's also, in a simple, wooden frame homemade smoked sausage. But born. At Laura's II, Madonna Broussard keeps he made himself, a photo of the first Norbert's the standout is the crawfish étouffée-filled many of grandma Laura's original recipes intact. A favorite is the baked turkey wing, which arrives Restaurant. There is no online menu or Facebook omelette. The silkiness of the smothered pterodactyl-sized. Big and meaty, stuffed with post, updating customers on what the kitchen crawfish tangles with the whipped eggs acebook.com/Norbert-Restaurant

garlic, black pepper, and cayenne, its topmost F is cooking. You must simply show up and check to form a creamy, butter-laden mishmash. For

layer of skin is crisped to a beautiful crackling the chalkboard of daily specials. Show up for lunch the menu shifts to a bounty of fifteen from a final heat burst under the broiler. At the smothered chicken, the beef tips, the fried or so daily menu items and specials. There's Laura's II, gravy is more meal than sauce. Dark, chicken, the liver and onions, or just a plate of amazingly crisp fried chicken and hearty red rich, and peppery, the gravy here rises to levels of sides. Show up for the rice and gravy, beans and rice, but most gravitate towards the transcendence. It bathes meatballs and washes thinner than at other places, but packed with gravy-smothered meats: chicken, pork, beef, over rice. It sticks to the ribs, sticks to the fork, spice and meaty bits. Come for the po-boys, , or turkey wings. These were the dishes and, after just one taste, this gravy will stick in , and pies, which have kept the Norbert's owner David Billeaud started cooking as a your mind. No matter what you order along the in business for almost a half-century. young boy alongside his mother. line — barbecued pork, fried pork chops, fried catfish, and all types of smothered meats and sides — you will get some gravy. (337) 233-0422 · Monday - Saturday 5 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sunday 6 a.m. - 2 p.m. · TCoons.com 6 a.m. - 2 p.m. · 5 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sunday - Saturday (337) 233-0422 · Monday (337) 837-6704 · Monday - Friday 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. · - Friday (337) 837-6704 · Monday (337) 593-8006 · - 10:30 Monday Sunday a.m. - 2:30 p.m. · Facebook.com/Lauras-2-NEXT-Generatio

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Foster Park HWY. CH DECON RD. E MIN 89 MET AIRIE RD . GUILLOT RD. PLATE LUNCH LABAT RD. PETROLEUM LISTINGS PKWY. NGSILL AILLET RD. 1. Abacus 10. Champagne’s Grocery & Deli 20. Gary’s 30. Lumberjack’s Soul 40. Poche’s 530 W Pinhook Rd. 716 Souvenir Gate 104 Lamar St. 4016 Moss St. 3015 Main Hwy. Lafayette, LA 70503 Lafayette, LA 70506 Lafayette, LA 70501 Lafayette, LA 70507 Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 (337) 232-5300 (337) 235-6733 (337) 235-2921 (337) 534-0545 (337) 332-2108 Monday - Friday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Monday - Friday 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Monday - Friday 6:30 a.m. - 3 p.m. Tuesday-Friday 10:30 a.m.-7 p.m.; Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.; GrandCoteauHouse.com Saturday 8:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. Facebook.com/GarysBigG Saturday 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; Saturday 10:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.; ChampagnesMarket.net Sunday 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday 10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. 2. Acadian Superette 21. Glenda’s Creole Kitchen FB.com/Lumberjackchefonline Poches.com 600 Lamar St. 11. Charlie T’s Specialty Meats (off map) 3232 Main Hwy. Lafayette, LA 70501 1406 Rees St. Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 31. Lunch Box 41. Rachael’s Café (337) 237-4509 Breaux Bridge, LA 70517 (337) 332-0294 3909 Moss St. 104 Republic Ave. Monday - Thursday 6 a.m. - 3 p.m.; (337) 332-2426 Monday - Sunday 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Lafayette, LA 70507 Lafayette, LA 70508 Friday 6 a.m. - 2 p.m. Monday - Friday 6 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Facebook.com/Creole-CreoleCajun-Restaurant-Catering (337) 233-8298 (337) 504-4625 AcadianSuperette.com Saturday 6 a.m. - 5 p.m. Sunday 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday - Wednesday 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Monday - Saturday 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Facebook.com/HunterFont3not 22. Guidroz Food Center Thursday & Friday 10:30 a.m. - 8 p.m. RachaelsLafayette.com 3. Alexander’s Specialty Meats 1301 E Simcoe St. LunchBoxMenu.com 111 Hollywood Dr. 12. Creole Lunch House Lafayette, LA 70501 42. The Shoppe Lafayette, LA 70501 713 12th St. (337) 235-5757 32. Mel’s Diner 4150 W. Congress (337) 504-3034 Lafayette, LA 70501 Monday - Saturday 10:30 a.m. - all gone 2956 Johnston St. Lafayette, LA 70506 Monday - Friday 7 a.m. - 6 p.m.; (337) 232-9929 Facebook.com/Guidroz-Food-Center Lafayette, LA 70503 337-534-4140 Saturday 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.; Monday - Friday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. (337) 235-6219 Monday – Saturday 10:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m. Sunday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. RestaurantWebExperts.com/CreoleLunchHouse/ 23. Guidry’s Produce on Moss Monday - Sunday 24 hours TheJambalayaShoppe.com Facebook.com/Alexanders-Speciality-Meats 3619 Moss St. TheMelsDiner.com 13. Dax Lafayette, LA 70507 43. T-Coon’s Restaurant 4. Bayou Bistro 2832 Verot School Rd. (337) 269-4726 33. Mel’s Diner 1900 W Pinhook Rd. 1801 W Pinhook Rd. Lafayette, LA 70508 Monday – Sunday 6 a.m. – 7 p.m. 1225 Evangeline Thwy. Lafayette, LA 70508 Lafayette, LA 70508 (337) 233-0329 Facebook.com/Guidry-Kevin-Original-Produce-Market Broussard, LA 70518 (337) 233-0422 (337) 233-8120 Sunday - Friday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. (337) 367-6357 Monday - Saturday 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Monday - Friday 6:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Facebook.com/DaxSeafood 24. Hub City Diner Monday - Sunday 24 hours TCoons.com & 4:00 - 11:00 p.m. Saturday - Sunday 1412 S College Rd. TheMelsDiner.com 7:00 - 11:00 a.m. & 4:00 - 11:00 p.m. 14. Don’s Specialty Meats (Carencro) Lafayette, LA 70503 44. Tim’s Kitchen Facebook.com/Bayou-Bistro 104 Hwy. 1252 (337) 235-5683 34. M & S Grocery 1000 Albertson Pkwy. Carencro, LA 70520 Monday - Sunday 10:30 a.m. - all gone 2720 Louisiana Ave. Broussard, Louisiana 70518 5. Breaux’s Mart (337) 896-6370 HubCityDiner.com Lafayette, LA 70501 (337) 330-2151 2600 Moss St. Monday - Friday 9:30 a.m. - all gone (337) 235-3941 Monday-Friday 10:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Lafayette, LA 70501 DonsSpecialtyMeats.com 25. Johnson’s Boucaniere Monday – Saturday 7 a.m. – 6 p.m. Facebook.com/TimsKitchenInBroussard/ (337) 232-2052 1111 Saint John St. Facebook.com/M-S-Grocery/ Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.; 15. Don’s Specialty Meats (Scott) Lafayette, LA 70501 45. Ton’s Drive Inn Saturday - Sunday 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. 730 S Frontage Rd. (337) 269-8878 35. Noah’s Cafe 101 W Main St. Facebook.com/BreauxsMart Scott, LA 70583 Tuesday - Thursday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.; 2310 Ambassador Caffery Pkwy. Broussard, LA 70518 (337) 234-2528 Friday 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.; Saturday 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. Lafayette, LA 70506 (337) 837-6684 6. Burger Best Monday - Friday 9:30 a.m. - all gone JohnsonsBoucaniere.com (337) 406-2440 Monday - Friday 5:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.; 302 Breaux Bridge Rd. DonsSpecialtyMeats.com Monday - Saturday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Saturday 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. Lafayette, LA 70501 26. La de Maman Noahs-Cafe.Business.Site TonsDriveIn.com (337) 235-4052 16. Dwight’s Restaurant 300 Fisher Rd. Monday - Friday 7 a.m. - 1 p.m. 4800 Johnston St. Lafayette, LA 70508 36. Norbert Restaurant 46. Took’s Facebook.com/Burger-Best Lafayette, LA 70503 (337) 205-9899 521 Ave. C 3103 Johnston St. (337) 981-1241 Tuesday - Friday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Broussard, LA 70518 Lafayette, LA 70503 7. Cafe 20.3 on the Bayou Monday - Friday 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.; Saturday & Sunday 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. (337) 837-6704 (337) 988-6657 1500 General Mouton Sunday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. BayouVermilionDistrict.org/La-Cuisine-De-Maman Monday - Friday 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Monday - Saturday 8 a.m. - 6 p.m.; Lafayette, LA 70501 DwightsRestaurant.biz Facebook.com/Norbert-Restaurant Sundays 8 a.m. - 2 p.m. (337) 408-8542 27. Lagneaux’s Tooks.com Monday - Thursday 6 a.m. - 8 p.m.; 17. Dwyer’s Cafe 445 Ridge Rd. 37. NuNu’s Cajun Market Friday 6 a.m. - 9 p.m.; 323 Jefferson St. Lafayette, LA 70506 1410 St Mary St. 4 7. Veronica’s Cafe Saturday - Sunday 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. Lafayette, LA 70501 (337) 984-1415 Scott, LA 70583 302 Hector Connoly Rd. 20point3.com (337) 235-9364 Monday - Friday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.; (337) 234-4592 Carencro, LA 70520 Monday - Sunday 6 a.m. - 2 p.m. Sunday 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Monday - Sunday 6 a.m. - 8:30 p.m. (337) 565-2301 8. Cafe 329 Facebook.com/DwyersCafe/ LagneauxsSeafood.com Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.; 329 Dulles Dr. 38. Office Hours Sunday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Lafayette, LA 70506 18. Earl’s Cajun Market 28. Laura’s II 2303 Pinhook Rd. Facebook.com/Veronicas-Cafe (337) 534-4986 510 Verot School Rd. 1904 W University Ave. Lafayette, LA 70508 Monday - Thursday 6 a.m. - 8 p.m.; Lafayette, LA 70508 Lafayette, LA 70506 (337) 237-4181 Friday 6 a.m. - 3 p.m. (337) 237-5501 (337) 593-8006 Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Facebook.com/Cafe329 Monday - Friday 7 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.; Monday - Sunday 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. OfficeHoursLafayette.com Sunday 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. Facebook.com/Lauras-2-NEXT-Generation 9. Cajun’s Cafe EarlsCajunMarket.com 39. Pat’s Downtown 206 E Saint Mary Blvd. 29. Lebouef’s Deli & Catering 107 E Main St. Lafayette LA 70503 19. Fezzo’s 3450 W Pinhook Rd. Lafayette, LA 70501 (337) 889-3846 720 S Frontage Rd. Lafayette, LA 70508 (337) 289-5270 Monday - Thursday 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.; Scott, LA 70583 (337) 837-9856 Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Friday 7 a.m. - 2 p.m. (337) 261-2464 Monday - Friday 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.; PatsDowntown.com Monday - Friday 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Sunday 10:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Fezzos.com Facebook.com/LeBouefs-Deli VISIT OUR Information Center History of the VISITOR INFORMATION CENTER Intersection of I-10 & I-49 Plate Lunch 1400 NW Evangeline Thruway Though most visitors to Lafayette might sooner I-10 Exit 103-A I-49 South of I-10 associate the area with our more famed Cajun and Creole culinary fare (jambalaya, crawfish, and HOURS OF OPERATION ), it is the rice and gravy-centric plate lunch Monday-Friday: 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. that fuels the people of Louisiana’s Acadiana region. Saturday-Sunday: 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Consisting of meat, a gravy-covered starch, a pair of vegetable sides, and a simple piece of bread — and often all served on a single plate — the plate lunch emphasizes speed, affordability, and caloric heft.

167 A close cousin to the meat-and-three found throughout the South, the history of 20

Lafayette’s plate lunch houses is rooted in the 20 marriage of rustic, homestyle cooking with the 49 165 convenience offered by the buffet line. In the late 35 55 nineteenth century, -style lunchrooms 45 84 appeared throughout America, introducing patrons to self-service, the lunch counter, and the 165 49 12 ubiquitous plastic tray. 10 10

90 In South Louisiana, rural meat markets were likely the first to sling portable plate lunches to a hungry working-class crowd. Instead of disposing Photos by Denny Culbert. Stories by Rien Fertel of their scraps and other unsold cuts, butchers smothered these meats in a rich, -based gravy for tomorrow’s lunch. With the addition of rice — a regional commodity and staple of local tables — and a stewed vegetable or two, the plate lunch was born.

[email protected] · 337.232.3737 800.346.1958 U.S. 800.543.5340 Canada